Visakha Festival Plaza: Waterfront
Waterfront Development, Beach Road, Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Waterfronts, the unique places where land and water meet, are a finite resource embodying
embodying the special
history and character of each community. Urban waterfronts, like the cities help define, dynamic
places. In each era, the needs for relaxation and the pursuit of leisure activities resulted in planning
forms and architecture solution that expresses the human response to lakeside or seaside. Waterfronts
are often the most valuable resource of a city and many people feel they are a stakeholder: from the
resident’s beautiful view to marine industry to waterfront shops, everyone wants t heir interests
protected.
As a student of Architecture, I wanted to explore, understand and develop an approach
towards waterfront city.
And Visakhapatnam is recognized as the fifth-fastest growing "Industrial Metropolis" in the
Asian subcontinent and the fastest growing industrial city on the East coast of India
strategically located midway between Calcutta and Chennai. This comes down to vision of
Visakhapatnam city - to become an economically vibrant, safe and inclusive city
providing the best social and physical infrastructure facilities for its residents,
businesses and visitors.
Research. Analysis. Ideation: Introduction to Waterfront
Development
Water is a defining force that fundamentally shapes the character of each place it
touches. It is a feature to be honoured and celebrated — not to be treated merely as
cosmetic or as just a commodity.
This project deals with the development of a recreational landmark at the Beach Road in the city of
destiny, Visakhapatnam. The city is expanding at a rapid pace with aggressive promotion of industrial
development with the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, the
Pharma City, Special Economic Zone and Information Technology units.
Generally, waterfront/riverfront/lakefront represents a city’s identity in terms of development and
culture.
This city’s waterfront had to be developed from the perspective of city’s image, tourist’s expectation and as a
recreational edge.
Research. Analysis. Ideation: Site Reading at City Level
Research. Analysis. Ideation: Site Reading at Precinct Level
Beach road in Visakhapatnam is planned as recreational stretch and is being beautified with
landscaping and by widening the road, but there was further scope of developing the
recreational waterfront of Vizag to make it a destination for tourism, celebration and
enjoyment and making an image of the city from the waterfront.
Research. Analysis. Ideation: Conceptualizing and Area-Brief
Development
After analyzing the area program of various waterfront cities, the crescent shaped land in front of
Submarine Museum at Beach Road in Vizag city (which is owned y Andhra University at present) was
proposed to be developed as ‘Visakha Festival Plaza’ consisting both convention and
entertainment facilities catering to business needs, tourists and citizens of the cit y.
AREA PROPOSED:
Exposition Centre
Conference Centre
Administration
Performance Theatre Auditorium
Food Centre
Recreational Zone
Services
Public Plaza
Outdoor Performance Area
Viewing Deck
Picnic Greens
Terrace Activities
Research. Analysis. Ideation: Design Approach
Context Model showing Visakha Festival
Plaza in context of Beach Road
CHALLENGES:
•To celebrate the existing image of city and enhance its identity with new contemporary
addition.
•To develop new area program for the crossing and the available land along the Beach Road
with variety of activities and opportunities considering the functional aspects of existing buildings.
•To accommodate existing festivities of Visakha Festival at the beach.
•The views of the sea are important and experience of pedestrians and in vehicles are equally
important.
•To design a pedestrian corridor connecting the recreational edge to sea side.
•Landscaping of the green edge to be created along the road and seafront.
Site Plan (with the pedestrian link to the sea)
Landscaped Roof Plan
Sectional Elevation
Elevations
Section through the Auditorium
OPPURTUNITIES:
• EDGE : to continue the green edge and built form along the street edge to retain the existing character
of the street.
• POROSITY : to develop an appropriate interface between centre and sea through street to invite people
respecting the views of sea from site and street.
• INTEGRATION : with surrounding building form, activity pattern, urban connections, vehicular and
pedestrian circulation, etc.
• CONTINUITY : street promenade with open activities to celebrate festivity and enlighten the place.
• IMAGE : create architecture that has landmark value representing the history, character and spirit of
Visakhapatnam and providing a destination for both citizens and tourists.
• INTERACTIVE : Diverse activities of the complex are to be related with each other
activating the place and flow into the open activities.
Photographs of the model
DESIGN TRANSLATION:
• City’s elements were symbolically incorporated into the design at various levels of planning,
interiors, materials, etc.
• Various options of planning the site according to a building/complex/structure were explored.
• University’s area or the activities on the site were decided.
• The physical barrier of vehicular traffic from the site to area was broken.
• The scale of the various components on the basis of different activities and existing built-forms on
the Beach Road was understood.
• An activity had to be incorporated in the Street Promenade to make it more
interactive rather than just a forced beautification of the edge.
• An element/structure/façade had to be incorporated in built-form/complex to create
architecture of landmark value.
• The different components had to be designed with a common interface with the open
areas.
Me giving my Thesis jury
Posted by Somya at 10:55 PM
Labels: 7) Architectural Thesis: Waterfront development, Delhi, Designer in India, School of
Planning and Architecture, SPA, SPA Delhi, Visakhapatnam
